This has been a tough few weeks for those of us who call ourselves Conservatives. First we were betrayed by Speaker of the House John Boehner when he conspired with the opposition to jam the Cromnibus Budget through during last month’s lame duck Congress. Then at the opening of the new session of Congress we were betrayed again by many of those we supported for Congress who violated their campaign pledge to support someone other than Boehner in the Speaker’s election.
This past Thursday night on Conservative Report Radio with Will Stauff we discussed in depth the aftermath of the double betrayal as well as what might be appropriate action going forward. There are no easy answers to the dilemma but as conservatives we must either continue to fight or surrender. Surrender is not something that should ever be in the vocabulary of a Conservative.
So we need to decide what each of us can do right now, for the next six months is critical to show our strength and our fortitude for the continuing battle ahead. We must make it very clear to the RINOs and the Left that we are here to win the hearts and minds of America to a future of freedom in a nation under God. Sadly, the power structure of the Republican Establishment today thinks it can demoralize us and silence us but in reality they have given us a gift.
And what is that gift? Simply put, it’s that we now know for sure that they have great disdain for us and actually want to destroy us. We need to use this knowledge in formulating everything we do going forward.
Now some may say this statement is an overreach. But just remember that Mitch McConnell said he would crush us and John Boehner this week said he will punish those who fought against him. They truly expect conservative legislators to routinely turn their back on the will of their voters, an act which constitutes a violation of trust.
Let’s look at some of the things that we as individuals and in groups can do right now to keep the momentum going and turn up the heat. They are not complicated but do take a commitment of time and effort and they are just our first steps going forward. If effectively done by large numbers of us, the Establishment will finally realize that we will not be marginalized.
1. Get active in local politics. This is first and foremost. Power in politics begins at the precinct level and though many don’t know it many precincts lack chairpersons, so if you want to get involved there are many opportunities nationwide.
If you want the Republican Party to be conservative, it’s going to take many more local level conservatives to get involved actively in the process. It’s a forum for speaking your mind and you might be surprised at how many will listen. Followers are always looking for someone to lead them.
2. Defund the Republican Establishment. If the national party is not going to listen to us, why should we fund it? Instead give your money to specific candidates that you support or to political action committees that push for the things you find important.
Now some will say that this will have no impact because the leadership looks to the big donors for their primary support and yes, to some degree that is true. But when they notice the individual donations drying up while seeing that people are still being vocal and active, it does give them advance notice that the people are rising and they fear that. And they will certainly notice that when there is internal competition being funded by a large number of small dollar donors they will quickly have to face the music.
The final thing this step will do is to “truly put our money where our mouth is”. Candidates that support your values and have a verified record of it need and deserve support. Who knows, it just might get some of the recalcitrant among the political class to wake up and “smell the roses” as well.
3. Track political records of your key elected officials. Having the truth on your side is the best way to keep the politicians honest. Whether it be local, state or federal officials it is really quite easy to find out how they have voted and then you can compare their record with what they say.
Remember, all Republicans when running for office use the standard conservative verbal mantra in their campaigns yet many, the majority in fact, violate those statements routinely once elected. Using websites such as conservativereview.com to monitor voting records, it is easy to separate the “wheat from the chaff” and to help you vote accordingly. Paying attention and staying informed is truly the game changer we need.
4. Stay in contact with your elected officials. Let your elected officials know where you stand and do it often. Letters, phone calls and emails are all easy to prepare, they just take a little time. And when your representative is in the area, visit their office or attend their town hall.
The more active you are, politely of course, the more likely they will listen and bring a friend or a group as well. Don’t be bashful; it’s your money they will be spending and then follow up to make sure they deliver what they say they will do.
There is so much going on in legislation these days that you need to devote some time to review regularly what is happening. One suggestion would be to call their office once each week concerning an active issue and let them know what you expect. Don’t be afraid to be emphatic, just be specific and keep it short and polite.
5. Spread the word. Tell your friends and recruit others who agree with you and build your own network and stay on top of things. This is what the Tea Party concept was originated for and we must grow the numbers who are doing this.
6. Support those who support you. Simply put, don’t forget to support the candidates who support you. Help them and encourage them while still holding them accountable. Just follow Reagan’s trust but verify routine and you can’t go wrong.
It’s not a very long list, is it? It’s also not very complex but the point is to shift the focus from expecting someone else to do the heavy lifting and to get involved ourselves. And this is just the first step, for as the Congressional session moves forward we will be facing an upcoming Presidential election, one which will determine whether or not we have done what we need to do.
Think about it. Do you as Conservatives want another McCain or Romney type of campaign where the opposition is treated with kid gloves while we are getting shellacked? No, you don’t, and the follow-up discussion which will be forthcoming will talk about what needs to result from our initial efforts.
The fact that we received a surprisingly large number of votes against John Boehner when the deck was stacked and the risks to those brave Congressmen was high is quite an achievement. The Speaker is now on notice and it is highly likely that if he continues to try and neutralize conservatives the uproar against him will grow.
It’s important that the Republican Party realize the crossroads where it finds itself and respond to the base for they can’t win a national election without us as the last two Presidential cycles have shown. It’s time for us to hold them accountable.
Just imagine if twenty million conservative voters started following the simple steps listed above? There is no way that the Republican Party could ignore it. And if they did, and this is certainly a final, hopefully unneeded step, I think the party would die as millions bailed out.
Wouldn’t our getting involved to force a change in direction be preferable both for us and for our country? Making a third party work is nearly impossible. Let’s see if we can make the current party work for us instead.
Let’s get busy. We’ve got work to do and people to influence. God bless America.
This past Thursday night on Conservative Report Radio with Will Stauff we discussed in depth the aftermath of the double betrayal as well as what might be appropriate action going forward. There are no easy answers to the dilemma but as conservatives we must either continue to fight or surrender. Surrender is not something that should ever be in the vocabulary of a Conservative.
So we need to decide what each of us can do right now, for the next six months is critical to show our strength and our fortitude for the continuing battle ahead. We must make it very clear to the RINOs and the Left that we are here to win the hearts and minds of America to a future of freedom in a nation under God. Sadly, the power structure of the Republican Establishment today thinks it can demoralize us and silence us but in reality they have given us a gift.
And what is that gift? Simply put, it’s that we now know for sure that they have great disdain for us and actually want to destroy us. We need to use this knowledge in formulating everything we do going forward.
Now some may say this statement is an overreach. But just remember that Mitch McConnell said he would crush us and John Boehner this week said he will punish those who fought against him. They truly expect conservative legislators to routinely turn their back on the will of their voters, an act which constitutes a violation of trust.
Let’s look at some of the things that we as individuals and in groups can do right now to keep the momentum going and turn up the heat. They are not complicated but do take a commitment of time and effort and they are just our first steps going forward. If effectively done by large numbers of us, the Establishment will finally realize that we will not be marginalized.
1. Get active in local politics. This is first and foremost. Power in politics begins at the precinct level and though many don’t know it many precincts lack chairpersons, so if you want to get involved there are many opportunities nationwide.
If you want the Republican Party to be conservative, it’s going to take many more local level conservatives to get involved actively in the process. It’s a forum for speaking your mind and you might be surprised at how many will listen. Followers are always looking for someone to lead them.
2. Defund the Republican Establishment. If the national party is not going to listen to us, why should we fund it? Instead give your money to specific candidates that you support or to political action committees that push for the things you find important.
Now some will say that this will have no impact because the leadership looks to the big donors for their primary support and yes, to some degree that is true. But when they notice the individual donations drying up while seeing that people are still being vocal and active, it does give them advance notice that the people are rising and they fear that. And they will certainly notice that when there is internal competition being funded by a large number of small dollar donors they will quickly have to face the music.
The final thing this step will do is to “truly put our money where our mouth is”. Candidates that support your values and have a verified record of it need and deserve support. Who knows, it just might get some of the recalcitrant among the political class to wake up and “smell the roses” as well.
3. Track political records of your key elected officials. Having the truth on your side is the best way to keep the politicians honest. Whether it be local, state or federal officials it is really quite easy to find out how they have voted and then you can compare their record with what they say.
Remember, all Republicans when running for office use the standard conservative verbal mantra in their campaigns yet many, the majority in fact, violate those statements routinely once elected. Using websites such as conservativereview.com to monitor voting records, it is easy to separate the “wheat from the chaff” and to help you vote accordingly. Paying attention and staying informed is truly the game changer we need.
4. Stay in contact with your elected officials. Let your elected officials know where you stand and do it often. Letters, phone calls and emails are all easy to prepare, they just take a little time. And when your representative is in the area, visit their office or attend their town hall.
The more active you are, politely of course, the more likely they will listen and bring a friend or a group as well. Don’t be bashful; it’s your money they will be spending and then follow up to make sure they deliver what they say they will do.
There is so much going on in legislation these days that you need to devote some time to review regularly what is happening. One suggestion would be to call their office once each week concerning an active issue and let them know what you expect. Don’t be afraid to be emphatic, just be specific and keep it short and polite.
5. Spread the word. Tell your friends and recruit others who agree with you and build your own network and stay on top of things. This is what the Tea Party concept was originated for and we must grow the numbers who are doing this.
6. Support those who support you. Simply put, don’t forget to support the candidates who support you. Help them and encourage them while still holding them accountable. Just follow Reagan’s trust but verify routine and you can’t go wrong.
It’s not a very long list, is it? It’s also not very complex but the point is to shift the focus from expecting someone else to do the heavy lifting and to get involved ourselves. And this is just the first step, for as the Congressional session moves forward we will be facing an upcoming Presidential election, one which will determine whether or not we have done what we need to do.
Think about it. Do you as Conservatives want another McCain or Romney type of campaign where the opposition is treated with kid gloves while we are getting shellacked? No, you don’t, and the follow-up discussion which will be forthcoming will talk about what needs to result from our initial efforts.
The fact that we received a surprisingly large number of votes against John Boehner when the deck was stacked and the risks to those brave Congressmen was high is quite an achievement. The Speaker is now on notice and it is highly likely that if he continues to try and neutralize conservatives the uproar against him will grow.
It’s important that the Republican Party realize the crossroads where it finds itself and respond to the base for they can’t win a national election without us as the last two Presidential cycles have shown. It’s time for us to hold them accountable.
Just imagine if twenty million conservative voters started following the simple steps listed above? There is no way that the Republican Party could ignore it. And if they did, and this is certainly a final, hopefully unneeded step, I think the party would die as millions bailed out.
Wouldn’t our getting involved to force a change in direction be preferable both for us and for our country? Making a third party work is nearly impossible. Let’s see if we can make the current party work for us instead.
Let’s get busy. We’ve got work to do and people to influence. God bless America.
RSS Feed